In a new video from WotC, it is revealed that the adventure in Shadow of the Dragon Queen is the story of the first flying citadel. They also note parallels between the movie Rogue One and the adventure, and call the flying citadel the "Star Destroyer of Dragonlance".
[[UPDATE -- WotC appears to have taken down this video]]
In the adventure the forces of the dragon queen (Takhisis), led by Lord Soth, launch a foray into Solamnia to get at a forgotten ruin, The CIty of Lost Names, which is an ancient Istarian flying city.
F. Wesley Schneider says that, like Star Wars, Dragonlance is a setting at war. "There will always be a war". In this story, the characters are in a story as yet untold in Dragonlance, where they are the main motivators who turn the tide of the war.
Above is an image from the upcoming adventure. Below is Keith Parkinson's original Dragonlance flying citadel artwork. You can buy a print of it from his website.
According to the Dragonlance wiki:
The Flying Citadels were thought up by Ariakas in the winter of 332 AC, but the knowledge of creating them was already known by wizards and clerics for thousands of years. He envisioned a fleet of flying castles that would destroy any enemy that stood in front of them. The idea though, would take almost 20 years before it was put onto the field of battle. The flying citadels were first put into use on the assault on Kalaman during the Siege of Kalaman. By the end of the war, about a dozen of flying citadels were created. The citadels are commanded by a Flight General, and captained by a Wind Captain.
Flying citadels are created after six months of planning and preparation between a Black Robe Wizard and a Cleric of Takhisis. First engineers or architects find a suitable citadel that would be able to withstand the strain and its suitability as a flying citadel. Laborers for the next six months work uninterrupted with the Wind Captain's Chair and the Wings of Stone are installed. The ritual to raise the flying citadel is performed next, with the mage and cleric acting together in the Wings of Stone chamber. The Wind Captain then takes control, and raises the citadel from the ground and directs it to its next destination.
The outside of a flying citadel looks simply like any castle that was ripped out of the ground, but with a large amount of rock under it for support. The walls and buildings usually suffer some damage in the form of many cracks, but are held in check by the magic, either divine or arcane. Some of the walls don't manage to come with the citadel, and are left on the ground in ruins. There are also barracks in most of the citadels to house about three thousand draconians or human soldiers. The citadel's original Keep is where the Highmaster will make his command center.
The only other room of note is in the lowest portion of the flying citadel. Here, deep in the Keep's dungeon, is where the Wings of Stone can be found. This is needed in order to rip the citadel from the ground, and to keep it afloat.
[[UPDATE -- WotC appears to have taken down this video]]
In the adventure the forces of the dragon queen (Takhisis), led by Lord Soth, launch a foray into Solamnia to get at a forgotten ruin, The CIty of Lost Names, which is an ancient Istarian flying city.
F. Wesley Schneider says that, like Star Wars, Dragonlance is a setting at war. "There will always be a war". In this story, the characters are in a story as yet untold in Dragonlance, where they are the main motivators who turn the tide of the war.
The Flying Citadels were thought up by Ariakas in the winter of 332 AC, but the knowledge of creating them was already known by wizards and clerics for thousands of years. He envisioned a fleet of flying castles that would destroy any enemy that stood in front of them. The idea though, would take almost 20 years before it was put onto the field of battle. The flying citadels were first put into use on the assault on Kalaman during the Siege of Kalaman. By the end of the war, about a dozen of flying citadels were created. The citadels are commanded by a Flight General, and captained by a Wind Captain.
Flying citadels are created after six months of planning and preparation between a Black Robe Wizard and a Cleric of Takhisis. First engineers or architects find a suitable citadel that would be able to withstand the strain and its suitability as a flying citadel. Laborers for the next six months work uninterrupted with the Wind Captain's Chair and the Wings of Stone are installed. The ritual to raise the flying citadel is performed next, with the mage and cleric acting together in the Wings of Stone chamber. The Wind Captain then takes control, and raises the citadel from the ground and directs it to its next destination.
The outside of a flying citadel looks simply like any castle that was ripped out of the ground, but with a large amount of rock under it for support. The walls and buildings usually suffer some damage in the form of many cracks, but are held in check by the magic, either divine or arcane. Some of the walls don't manage to come with the citadel, and are left on the ground in ruins. There are also barracks in most of the citadels to house about three thousand draconians or human soldiers. The citadel's original Keep is where the Highmaster will make his command center.
The only other room of note is in the lowest portion of the flying citadel. Here, deep in the Keep's dungeon, is where the Wings of Stone can be found. This is needed in order to rip the citadel from the ground, and to keep it afloat.
